Chart Interpretation Challenge - Mary Shelley

Kepler College invited astrologers to share their chart interpretation for Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), born August 30, 1797 in London, England at 11:20 p.m. The purpose of this challenge was to showcase the different approaches to chart interpretation.

Born Mary Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was the daughter of the revolutionary feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft (see portrait above), whose powerful treatise, Vindication of the Rights of Woman [pdf version], opened up new avenues of possibility for the education of women at the commencement of the 19th century. Her daughter was one such beneficiary of Wollstonecraft’s desire to reform women’s education, going on to publish the wildly popular novel Frankenstein at the young age of 20. A look at the planetary aspects of Mary Shelley’s natal chart, using the perspective of archetypal astrology, can help illustrate how the archetypal energies correlated with the planets of our solar system were expressed in her personal life and in her writing, with a particular focus on her masterwork, Frankenstein. An analysis of the world transits, and the personal transits they form to Shelley’s natal chart, at the time of the publication of Frankenstein provide further insight into Shelley’s writing.

My article revolves around the position of Pluto in Mary Shelley's chart and its powerful impact on the events in her life and her works - Chrisine Ferraro

Born of philosopher and political writer William Godwin and famed feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (author of The Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792), Mary Shelley's early environment provided fertile ground for the growth of her intellectual and literary tendencies. The loss of her mother when she was only 11 days old was the first of many indicators that crisis, transformation, and revolution were going to be a major theme in her life.

I will focus only on the first house, the zodiac sign that is located inside the first house; the Ascendant; the ruling planet of Ascendant and the planet that is inside the first house. Click here for a large version of Mary Shelley's chart in a new window.

The Ascendant is at the 2nd degree of Cardinal sign, Cancer. A child expects to receive the emotional protection and also the nutrition and education from a mother, instead there is “a cold and dry Saturn”. Saturn can also be the authority in the chart. And indeed this Saturn ‘plays-out'. Mary loses her mother at the age of eleven days and her father is the parent who gives her basic education and ‘bringing-up’. (Her biography notes that Mary Godwin's mother died when she was eleven days old; afterwards, she and her older half-sister, Fanny Imlay, were raised by her father).

The chart below is of Mary Shelley. The box at top right in the diagram is Gemini, her ascendant, and the signs of the zodiac and 12 houses run clockwise from there. In 1797 when Mary Shelley was born the difference in planetary positions between Western and Vedic Astrology was 21 degrees, so the usual 2 degree Cancer ascendant minus 21 degrees converts to 11 degrees Gemini. This gives the visible astronomical positions for the ascendant and planets at the time of birth and allows many insights not available in Western Astrology.

This short article is focused on the unique ability of Mary Shelley to tell a story with great imagination by thinking out of the box. She was born with her Virgo Sun sign in conjunction to the planet that triggers innovation, Uranus. It gave her a strong mind that did not fear what others might think of her even after publishing a book such as Frankenstein during the 19th century. Uranus is the ruler of her 9th house with the sign Aquarius placed upon its cusp. The 9th house has connections to publishing, education and writing. Both Uranus and Aquarius have an emphasis on independence. Ms Shelley was self-educated early in life and loved making use of her father’s vast library. She said that this is where she found peace of mind.

The author of FRANKENSTEIN, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, depicted her monster with a male gender rather than a female gender. Was her gender choice for the monster motivated by the subliminal and dark side of her feminism?

Examining Mary Shelley's natal chart may reveal some clues in answering this question. Click here for a large version of her chart in a new window.

Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797 in London, England (0° W 10', 51° N 30') at 11:20 p.m.[1] Mary Shelley's mother was a social reformer and feminist. Mary had several children that died shortly after birth. Mary's mother died at her birth.[1]